


Signs of Life

by simplyprologue



Category: The Newsroom (US TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Deaf Character, F/M, Fingerspelled Universe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 07:50:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 741
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2804999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simplyprologue/pseuds/simplyprologue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Three moments. One from the recent past, and two from the not-so-distant future.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Signs of Life

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** Once more moving drabbles from my tumblr over here for archiving. Nothing to see here...

Will is three weeks into lessons with the ASL tutor when he truly begins to conceptualize how much Mac’s presence has changed  _everything._ Maybe he just blocked out how often the senior staff has picked up the use of sign language. Or maybe they were just more subtle about it before the very loud and very public fight he and Mac had about it back in January.

He’s sitting at his desk after a pitch meeting when Jim parks himself (predictably enough) at Maggie’s desk, and the two are quickly joined by Martin and Tess and Gary and within minutes he’s the old man who wants to yell at the playing children to  _get the hell off his lawn._

They’re  _laughing._

But they’re also signing, and slowly enough that he can actually pick up on it and the tutor said he should watch videos and pay more attention to Mac and Jim, so here he is. 

Will misses every other word or so, but it still becomes blatant that they’re not discussing work. He actually has no idea what they’re talking about, and he thinks they’re combining the signs for “boss” and “queen” into one fluid motion and then, within moments, Will is squinting at them through the blinds half-obscuring the glass wall into the bullpen. 

The boy sign, into the Nebraska sign.

"Wait a second." 

 _Boy-Nebraska needs to stop being a prick to Boss-Queen,_ Tess signs, Maggie and Gary nodding along. Jim looks grim for a moment, before cracking a smile. 

Will moans quietly, looking back down at the script he’s supposed to be writing. 

"Oh for the love of fuck."

_Boy-Nebraska._

The staff’s name-sign for him is  _Boy-Nebraska._

 

* * *

 

 

Normally losing her hearing in the middle of sex would be a distressing occurrence, but considering that they’re currently going at it with a level of athleticism which is probably putting Will at risk for a repetitive motion injury, Mac isn’t exactly concerned. 

Impressed, actually.

Will’s managed to literally fuck her hearing aid out of her ear. If she wasn’t reduced to little more than gripping the slats in the headboard and rocking her hips up to receive his thrusts she’d do something like reach down to where the device is resting on the pillow and put it back  _in—_ but her legs have been numb with pleasure for a few minutes now and Mac thinks she can do without hearing so long as Will keeps rolling his hips like that. 

The downside (upside, possibly, considering the look on Will’s face) of this is that she has absolutely no idea of how loud she’s being.

Not that she really  _cares._

Moaning, she arches her back and closes her eyes, too, letting her world narrow to the orgasm Will’s sparking between her thighs. 

 

* * *

 

 

There are things he didn’t even consider until the first night he slept in her apartment. Like the fact that _of course_  Mac doesn’t sleep with her hearing aid in, so  _of course_  her alarm clock vibrates and flashes and  _of course_ Mac needs her nightlight now more than ever, since take away one sense and take away any of the others and you’re kind of just a jackass, let her have some security by not being in complete darkness. 

Mac has become very sensitive to light.

Especially anything resembling the bright green light on her alarm. 

As such, Will finds himself taping overthe bright flashing lights on the baby monitor and turning off the vibrate function. She’s home all day, and he’s at the studio for ten hours away from them, so he can handle getting up during the night and let Mac get more than four hours of sleep at a time. 

Which still only works half the time, since him getting out of bed usually wakes her up.

"You’re ridiculous," she slurs, rolling towards his side of the bed. 

 _I’ll be right back_ , he signs, once seeing that she’s opened her eyes.

Sleepily propping herself up on her elbows, Mac squints at him. “She’s going to be hungry, just bring her in here.” 

By the time Charlotte is latched to her breast she’s not any more awake, and he gently gets her to slump against him and close her eyes, his arms keeping Charlotte wrapped tightly in hers as she nurses. Both Mac and the baby are fast asleep by the time he’s tugging her clothing back into place and tucking them back under their blankets. 


End file.
